Upswell can bring together dynamic changemakers and put together a zany program with everything from traditional deep-dive workshops to group ukulele lessons. But at the end of the day, nobody can give you a more authentic experience or a sense of what’s happening on the ground in a city’s many diverse neighborhoods than the locals. That’s why community immersion tours are one of the hallmarks of the Upswell experience.

And,  if you ask anyone who went on an Inside & Out tour last year, there’s no better way to begin your Upswell experience than in the community.

We’re delighted to share this year’s Inside & Out tours — a dozen thoughtfully designed, immersive experiences, all guided by dynamic community leaders across Chicago. Each tour is aimed at acclimatizing you to the issues, innovation, and people doing incredible work throughout Greater Chicago. If you’re interested in joining a tour, be sure to add it to your Upswell registration soon, as space is very limited.

Oh, and stay close because we’ll be back in coming weeks to announce another delicious community immersion component of the Upswell Chicago. But for now, here’s a preview of the Inside & Out tour sites:

Little Village/Brighton Park (SOLD OUT)

You’ll visit:

• Yollocalli Youth Art Reach | Satellite youth initiative organization of the National Museum of Mexican Art
• Open Center Arts | Hybrid neighborhood arts and culture collaborative
• Kelly Park High School | Sanctuary school in a predominantly Latinx community offering a variety of holistic services to families including legal services, tax prep, ad pantry opportunities
• Meeting of Styles | Site of an annual international graffiti art event at the Crawford Steel Site

You’ll learn about: Community arts, the role of contemporary art in urban contexts, adaptive reuse, education and community organizing, and the impact of development in gentrifying communities.

Learn more: Little Village / Brighton Park: Sustaining the “Mexico of the Midwest”

Pilsen

You’ll visit:

• National Museum of Mexican Fine Art | Gallery space featuring Day of the Dead exhibit
• Historic 18th Street | Where 19th century architecture meets contemporary contributions by Mexican immigrants in the Pilsen community today
• MANA Contemporary art center | 150,000 square foot adaptive reuse building housing studios, galleries and installation spaces, and art storage and packaging facilities

You’ll learn about: Emerging arts practices in urban contexts, and the impact of development in gentrifying communities

Learn more: Pilsen: A Chicagoland Stronghold for Mexican Art and Culture

Bronzeville (SOLD OUT)

You’ll visit:

• The Urban Resilience Network (TURN) | Community organization offering mental health services including trauma therapists, counseling services, and types of services that incorporate faith when requested
• South Side Community Arts Center | Community art center in Chicago that opened in 1940 with support from the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project in Illinois
• Bronzeville Boombox | Turnkey, shipping container retail experience designed by Chicago architecture firm, Latent Design

You’ll learn about: Legacy community cultural institutions, the role of social service organizations in urban contexts, urban tactical approaches to community organizing, economic and community development

Learn more: Bronzeville: A Walk Through Chicago’s Black Metropolis

Loop

You’ll visit:

• Chicago River activations | Apple Store and the Riverwalk
• 1871 | Where changemakers will meet staff from P33, a cross-disciplinary initiative to drive inclusive, global technology leadership for Chicago
• The Merchandise Mart | 140,000 square foot facility is home to leading digital startups, and thriving technology and entrepreneurial accelerators and industry-specific incubators

You’ll learn about: Tech and engineering, adaptive reuse, and alternative approaches to building economy

Learn more: Loop: Innovation Runs Deep in the Oldest Part of Town

Pullman

You’ll visit:

• One Eleven Food Hall | Reimagined strip mall in an underdeveloped location in a one of Chicago’s city landmark districts and the only site recognized with both state and national landmark status
• Pullman Artspace Lofts | 18,500 square foot historic apartment building offering mixed-use affordable live/work space for artists and their families

You’ll learn about: Historic preservation, urban/city planning, adaptive reuse, alternative approaches to community organizing, economic and community development, and park-space

Learn more: Pullman: The First Industrial Planned Community and a National Landmark

Chicago Lawn

You’ll visit

• Inner City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) | Community organization that fosters health, wellness, and healing in the inner-city by organizing for social change, cultivating the arts, and operating a holistic health center.
• Marquette Park | Site of Martin Luther King’s historic 1966 civil rights march. IMAN helped to coordinate and create the Memorial with a diverse group of organizations, institutions, and individuals.

You’ll learn about: IMAN’s holistic and transformative model, Green ReEntry program for returning citizens, reimagining and revitalizing public spaces, alternative approaches to economic and community development, and community organizing around food justice and criminal justice reform.

Learn more: Chicago Lawn: Supporting the Muslim Community in South Side and Beyond

Bridgeport

You’ll visit:

• Morgan Street | Birthplace of five mayors and home to a thriving hub of artists, entrepreneurs, and makers
• Edmar Marzewski’s | Cultural and commercial centers, including art gallery, radio station, restaurant, a bar and brewery
• Eleanor Boathouse at Park 571 | Chicago River kayak access

You’ll learn about: Hybrid art spaces and practices, urban and city planning, alternative approaches to community organizing, economic and community development, and park-space

Learn more: Bridgeport: A Glimpse into Chicago’s Future?

Hyde Park (SOLD OUT)

You’ll visit:

• Harris School of Public Policy at The University of Chicago | Facilities including terraces which act as collaborative workspaces and platforms for amphitheater seating
• Logan Center for the Arts | Resource and catalyst for cultural and community activity, spaces include galleries, theatre and a café
• The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation | 34,000 square foot multi-disciplinary co-working space

You’ll learn about: Historic preservation, urban/city planning, adaptive reuse, alternative approaches to community organizing, and economic and community development

Learn more: Hyde Park: Land of Laureates and Much More

Austin/Lawndale (SOLD OUT)

You’ll visit:

• Austin Coming Together | Lead agency for United Way’s Neighborhood Network initiative, convening community stakeholders to coordinate service delivery in the neighborhood
• Former Sears Industrial complex | 40-acre abandoned complex turned community, cultural activity center
• Farm on Ogden | Chicago Botanic Garden initiative that supports and sustains a healthy urban community by bringing food, health, and jobs together in one location

You’ll learn about: Hybrid art spaces and practices, urban and city planning, alternative approaches to community organizing, economic and community development, and park-space

Learn more: Austin and Lawndale Tour: Building Community in Chicago’s West Side

Greater Grand Crossing

You’ll visit:

• Rebuild Foundation | Site of three signature art and community centers developed by University of Chicago professor and artist Theaster Gates
• Dorchester Art & Housing Collaborative | Work-live artist collective

You’ll learn about: Hybrid cultural economies and practices, emerging community cultural spaces as approaches to community organizing, and economic and community development

Learn more: Greater Grand Crossing: Frog War Turf to a Hybrid Cultural Economy

Back of the Yards (SOLD OUT)

You’ll visit:

• Union Stock Yards | Subject of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and organizing stomping ground of Saul Alinsky, founder of modern community organizing, now a transformative community development projects
• The Plant | Former meat packing building turned collaborative community exploring new models of food and waste production and consumption
• Back of the Yards Storyfront | Satellite community theatre operated by the Free Street Theatre in a former refrigerator repair shop

You’ll learn about: Legacy and historic sites, emerging community cultural spaces, urban tactical approaches to community organizing, and economic and community development

Learn more: Back of the Yards: Transforming Chicago’s Southwest Side

Englewood

You’ll visit:

•  Englewood Square on 63rd & Halsted | Retail district
• RAGE Headquarters | Englewood’s neighborhood association dedicated to mobilizing people and resources to force a change in the community by breaking down barriers in communication and promoting positivity through solution-based approaches.

You’ll learn about: The importance of community partnerships and the pathway grassroots organizations in Englewood leverage institutions and corporations to inform development.

Learn more: Englewood: Changing Outcomes—and Narratives—from the Inside-out